Motor and hairpin stator thereof

Abstract

A hairpin motor stator includes a stator core, a plurality of slots, a first hairpin wire and a temperature sensor. The stator core defines a rotor accommodating space. The slots are located on the stator core, and each slot extends in a radial direction from the rotor accommodating space. Each slot has a side opening adjacent to the rotor accommodating space. One of the slots is a temperature sensor accommodating slot. The first hairpin wire is located in the temperature sensor accommodating slot and proximal to the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodating slot. The temperature sensor is between the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodating slot and the first hairpin wire. The temperature sensor is larger than the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodating slot such that the temperature sensor is enclosed in the temperature sensor accommodating slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hairpin wire motor stator comprising:
 a stator core comprising a ring-shaped body defining a rotor accommodation space at a center of the ring-shaped body, wherein the stator core comprises an insertion side and extension side; 
 a plurality of slots disposed on the stator core and surrounding the rotor accommodation space circumferentially, each slot extending in a radial direction from the rotor accommodation space and allowing a plurality of hairpin wires to be inserted from the insertion side and protruded out from the extension side, wherein the plurality of hairpin wires are arranged in layers inside each slot, wherein each slot has a side opening adjacent to the rotor accommodation space, and wherein at least one of the slots is a temperature sensor accommodation slot; 
 a first hairpin wire disposed in the temperature sensor accommodation slot and located proximal to the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodation slot; and 
 a temperature sensor disposed between the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodation slot and the first hairpin wire, wherein the temperature sensor is larger than the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodation slot such that the temperature sensor is enclosed within the temperature sensor accommodation slot, and wherein at the insertion side of the stator core, a profile of the temperature sensor accommodation slot is different than a profile of one of the plurality of slots except for the temperature sensor accommodation slot. 
 
     
     
       2. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot includes at least one through hole portion extending in an axial direction of the stator core allowing a hairpin wire to be inserted from the insertion side and protruded out from the extension side, and wherein the temperature sensor is located in the temperature sensor accommodation slot between the insertion side and the extension side to sense a hot spot of the hairpin wire motor stator. 
     
     
       3. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot includes at least one well portion adjacent to the through hole portion, the well portion comprising an opening at the insertion side, and a bottom located between the insertion side and the extension side, and wherein the temperature sensor is located at or proximal to the bottom of the well portion. 
     
     
       4. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot is elongate in the radial direction and comprises a width orthogonal to the radial direction, wherein the width of the temperature sensor accommodation slot varies in the radial direction in a configuration of the width proximal to the rotor accommodation space being greater than the width distal to the rotor accommodation space. 
     
     
       5. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 1 , wherein the side opening of the temperature sensor accommodation slot comprises two lip portions extending toward each other from two sides of the temperature sensor accommodation slot to define a side opening width, wherein the side opening width is smaller than a width between the two sides of the temperature sensor accommodation slot for enclosing the temperature sensor within the temperature sensor accommodation slot. 
     
     
       6. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 1 , further comprising a second hairpin wire disposed adjacent to the first hairpin wire and distal to the temperature sensor, wherein the first hairpin wire comprises a temperature sensor accommodating section configured to thermally contact the temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire comprises a different cross-sectional shape than a cross-sectional shape of the second hairpin wire, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire and a cross-sectional area of the second hairpin wire are the same or substantially the same. 
     
     
       7. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire and the cross-sectional shape of the second hairpin wire are both substantially quadrilateral, and wherein a width of the cross-sectional shape of the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire is greater than a width of the cross-sectional shape of the second hairpin wire. 
     
     
       8. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a convex side configured to be in thermal contact with the first hairpin wire, and wherein the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire comprises a concave side configured to receive the convex side of the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       9. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodating section and a other section of the first hairpin wire comprise different cross-sectional shapes and further comprise the same or substantially the same cross-sectional area. 
     
     
       10. The hairpin wire motor stator of  claim 1 , wherein the first hairpin wire is a neutral wire. 
     
     
       11. A motor comprising:
 a rotor; 
 a ring-shaped stator core surrounding the rotor; 
 a plurality of slots disposed circumferentially on the ring-shaped stator core, each slot extending in a radial direction from the rotor and comprising a plurality of layers of hairpin wires disposed in the slot, wherein at least one of the slots is a temperature sensor accommodation slot; 
 a temperature sensor disposed in the temperature sensor accommodation slot, wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot is elongate in the radial direction and comprises two ends, wherein the temperature sensor is located at one of the two ends; 
 a first hairpin wire disposed in the temperature sensor accommodation slot adjacent to the temperature sensor, wherein the first hairpin wire comprises a temperature sensor accommodating section configured to thermally contact the temperature sensor; and 
 a second hairpin wire disposed adjacent to the first hairpin wire and distal to the temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire and the second hairpin wire comprise different cross-sectional shapes and further comprise the same or substantially the same cross-sectional area. 
 
     
     
       12. The motor of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a convex side configured to be in thermal contact with the first hairpin wire, and wherein temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire comprises a concave side configured to receive the convex side of the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       13. The motor of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire and the second hairpin wire comprise substantially quadrilateral cross-sections, and wherein a width of the cross-sectional shape of the temperature sensor accommodating section of the first hairpin wire is greater than a width of the cross-sectional shape of the second hairpin wire. 
     
     
       14. The motor of  claim 11 , wherein the first hairpin wire is proximal to the rotor, wherein the second hairpin wire is distal to the rotor, and wherein the temperature sensor is disposed between the rotor and the first hairpin wire. 
     
     
       15. The motor of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot comprises a width orthogonal to the radial direction, wherein the width of the temperature sensor accommodation slot varies in the radial direction in a configuration of the width for accommodating the first hairpin wire is greater than the width for accommodating the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       16. A motor comprising:
 a stator core ring-shaped to define a rotor accommodation space, wherein the stator core comprises an insertion side and extension side; 
 a rotor disposed in the rotor accommodation space; 
 a plurality of slots disposed on the stator core and surrounding the rotor accommodation space circumferentially, each slot extending in a radial direction from the rotor accommodation space and comprising a plurality of inserted hairpin wire layers, wherein at least one of the slots is a temperature sensor accommodation slot; and 
 a temperature sensor disposed in the temperature sensor accommodation slot between the insertion side and the extension side, wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot comprises a slot cross-sectional area, wherein the slot cross-sectional area at the insertion side is greater than the slot cross-sectional area at the extension side, wherein the slot cross-sectional area is reduced from the slot cross-sectional area of the insertion side to the slot cross-sectional area of the extension side at an axial portion of the temperature sensor accommodation slot located between the insertion side and the extension side, and wherein the axial portion is configured to accommodate the temperature sensor. 
 
     
     
       17. The motor of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot comprises an elongate space and a hairpin wire accommodating space adjacent to each other, wherein the elongated space comprises a first end at the insertion side of the stator core and a second end inside the stator core, and wherein the temperature sensor is disposed proximal to the second end of the elongate space. 
     
     
       18. The motor of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature sensor accommodation slot includes a space for accommodating the temperature sensor, wherein the space for accommodating the temperature sensor extends from the insertion side of the stator core and terminates inside the stator core to form a bottom end, and wherein the temperature sensor is located proximal to the bottom end for sensing a hot spot inside the stator core. 
     
     
       19. The motor of  claim 16 , wherein the axial portion is further located proximal to the rotor accommodation space in the radial direction.